GARDENER'S WORD

Officially spring began in the UK on Tuesday, 20th March 2018, two days ago, but I only really noticed it today.  We've had so much snow in the past few weeks, it has been bitterly cold with winds making it feel colder still, and I haven't experienced that wonderful feeling of euphoria that I get when spring has arrived.  I felt it today, that buzz.  It's still somewhat chilly but the sun keeps poking out from between the clouds and the primroses and crocuses look stunningly colourful.  Crocuses and Tete-a-Tete daffodils - March 22, 2018 So, today was the day I began my gardening after a long hibernation.  I took secateurs to the buddleias , pruning them back quite hard to encourage new growth. Buddleias flower on new growth and I am hoping for a fabulous display.  I also attacked the climbing roses, Wild Eve and New Dawn .  I'm not sure if I will get flowers on them this year, or at least not many, but I had to try and get them in...

I filled those bird-feeders yesterday, and the fat balls filled the containers they are in, but already local wildlife is emptying them.  It's not just the squirrels which are hungry, but the birds are pretty hungry too.  The sunflower seeds are full of energy, as are the fat balls which I make.  Making fat balls is a bit of a messy job but they love them.  It's no surprise that they prefer them to those cheap dried up things that look like compacted sawdust.  I say if you are going to feed them, feed them something which is good for them.   Wild birds dining out in my garden on a snowy March day, 2018 Look how red the thrushes feet are.  Mine would look like that too if I were out in this weather barefooted!! I love to see photographs of birds in flight.  If only I were a better photographer...   However, I am taking the photos from indoors with my full frame Canon EOS6D, through murky glass, so that I don't sca...

I had a shopping delivery to my home the other day and I was telling the guy how hungry the squirrels and birds are in this cold weather.  I said I was surprised at how people went out of their way to ensure that squirrels could not take food put out for the birds, but he disagreed.  I get that.  I am always willing to agree to disagree, but he said that the squirrels cause damage.  I asked how.  He said that they spill the bird seed. Oh, for crying out loud.  How I kept my patience.  They spill seeds from my bird feeders too, and that, in turn, provides seeds for those birds who prefer to eat from the ground.  It's a happy happy circle.  What's wrong with people?  How are they able to decide what animal should fill their little starving bellies or not?  Of course, the wildlife message has gone around now in my area that there is always 'free jocking' at my place.  Grey squirrel with a cute face and handful of food.  March...

We're not going to get out of this winter lightly, here in the UK, are we?  Widespread snow has hit the UK since yesterday evening and even the soft southerners, in Kent and so on, are getting a good taste of what is called "the Beast from the East" as easterly winds (coming from the direction of the east) bring chaos to our roads.  As I plan on going nowhere, I am more worried about the wildlife and farm animals, like sheep.  I think it is lambing time now, isn't it?  I've taken some cute snaps of a visiting grey squirrel and will post them separately.  A friend in Kent sent me a message yesterday saying they are getting heavy snow.  It must come as a bit of a shock.  Here, up north, on the Pennines, we are made of stern stuff and take weather like this in our stride.  Mostly. Snow again across the Pennines, March 17 and 18, 2018 Of course, it's often the drifts that cause chaos.  We've had about 3 or 4 inches of snow and I ...

I don't believe it.  Well, actually, I do.  We have a warning of snow heading our way, here on the Pennines of West Yorkshire, and this time we have an Amber Warning.  Oh, just great!  How many times have we had snow this year already?  One time too often, for sure.  I have my spade close to my kitchen door so that I can dig my way to the dustbin, and I have prepared some fat balls for the birds and filled their feeders on the bird-feeding station .  Spring flowers are just coming up nicely in the borders, grown from bulbs that I just stuck in the ground here and there.  They are lovely little surprises as, like a squirrel with its winter stash, I sometimes forget where I planted them.  Unfortunately, I don't know if heavy snow is going to wreck the poor flowers before they even get a chance to raise their lovely little heads to the sun.  What sun?  It's been Dracula weather for the last few days with grey sky and mist, and lots of...

Well, that wasn't much of a break.  After being stuck indoors for eight days, including on my birthday, I managed to get out this week after it had all gone.  In fact, yesterday was a beautiful day, devoid of rain and snow and sleet and wind.  We had sunshine.  I took the opportunity to drive up to Harlow Carr, to have brunch at Bettys with a friend.  It was glorious.  And when I got home I went into the garden room which had warmed up to a staggering 15 degrees celsius, and read for a while.  But I knew that snow was forecast for this morning and I chose not to believe it.  I chose to tell myself that the weather forecasters have got it wrong before, that they can get it wrong again, but they didn't.  Sigh. Why do they always get the forecast right when the weather's going to be lousy?  But there is beauty in many things if you just look for it, and I didn't have to look far.  I noticed that my Syringa Red Pixie...

Much of the UK has been under snow this past week and I haven't been getting into my garden room.  When I went in today, now that the snow is thawing and clearing, I noted the thermometer reading which told me that the temperature in there had dropped to below minus 4 degrees celsius.  So what was it outdoors?  It made me appreciate more the hardy plants, those producing flowers right now, flowers which have been under the heavy weight of ice and snow for the best part of a week.  Yes, the flowers look a bit worse for wear but they have survived it, those delicate petals.  I mean, the snow has just cleared so the flowers had to have been there, underneath it all, all that time.  It made me realise just how tough they are.  I mean, how long would we humans survive naked and out in freezing weather, under a pile of ice and snow for a week?  We'd last mere hours, not days, that's for sure. Yellow primroses surviving the snow - 5 March 2018 ...

I just finished posting my last item and it started to snow again.  A friend says she has to take her husband to the airport on Tuesday.  Not sure whether she meant Manchester or Leeds/Bradford airport.  She might be lucky.  I am hoping to get a shopping delivery on Tuesday, if there's anything left in the shops by then.  People have been stocking up as the bad weather persists, and while poor transport drivers (they don't get enough credit) have struggled in appalling conditions to get through treacherous snow and ice to supply supermarkets and other shops, not always successfully, shelves have been badly depleted.  The odds of me getting further than the bird feeding station and the dustbin are zero to nil.  Won't do it.  Not in this.  Anyhow, as soon as I posted about the squirrels and the rosehips, along came two lovely lovey doves: Collared Doves.  I've not seen them for quite a while and we have quite a number of pairs around ...

It's a snowy and bitterly cold Sunday out there today with giant icicles hanging from the gutters.  We've had slightly more snow overnight here on the Pennines of West Yorkshire and it's that heavy stuff that crunches when you walk on it.  I know, I walked as far as the dustbin!  I think the central heating came on in the night and gave me a bit of a headache, so I got up early and looked out of the window.  It was a bit of a whiteout with visibility very low.  Although usually I can see for miles across the Pennines from where I live, I could only see as far as the trees across the road today.  Out of the back window, I was delighted to see two squirrels in my garden, and to be able to catch them on camera.  It was interesting to note one going after the remains of the rosehips on the climbing roses (Wild Eve and New Dawn).  I must remember not to dead head roses at the end of the season so that they create hips for wildlife over winter...

People, including friends, should never tell me how much they hate squirrels, or cats, or pets, or animals in general, because I don't want to hear it.  I shall only think that there is something most definitely not normal about them.  Snow is keeping me indoors and so, like a little old biddy, I am spending a fair amount of time watching out of the window, enjoying the feeding frenzy in my garden.  A squirrel arrived today and, bless it, for once was not allowing birds to bully it away.   Squirrel filling its little white belly You could say that the UK is under the weather at the moment.  Winter snow, wind, and freezing temperatures is causing treacherous conditions on the roads.  While here, on the Pennines of West Yorkshire, or at least in my neighbourhood, there has been no snow today but there are icicles over 1 inches long hanging from gutters, the ground is rock solid, and we have forecast of snow for tomorrow.  sigh.  ...

As mentioned in an earlier post, it's a snowy day today.  Actually, it's a snowy week and it hasn't finished yet.  While I never venture out in such weather, it's lovely to be able to look out of my kitchen window and watch birds of many varieties, all eating at my expense.  They're welcome.  Anyone remember the film Mary Poppins where Julie Andrews sings "Feed the birds, tuppence a bag".  Well, more like three or four hundred pence a small bag nowadays but at least I save a little by making  fatballs .  Looking out of the window just a few minutes ago, I saw what must have been more than two dozen birds of several different kinds all feasting together.  Of course, there is always the pushy pig, isn't there?  A Wood Pigeon had turned its neck at 180 degrees and was keeping a careful eye or two on a raven which was all too close.  Magpie on the lookout while Thrushes feed on fatballs It's always interesting how birds favour dif...

While the rest of the country is dealing with varying amounts of snowfall, I am dealing with it by photographing it and looking out of the window.  There is a kind of old tradition of saying "White Rabbits" on the first day of the month to ensure good luck for the month.  Well, if there are any white rabbits out there today, I won't be able to see them.  sigh   It's my birthday tomorrow and I think the chances of the postman getting through with whatever is about zero to nil, unless whatever (I always treat myself for my birthday) is dropped in by helicopter.  I think the odds of that is about the same as me getting to sit in a sunny garden room with the temperature about 20 celsius.  Meanwhile, it all does look rather picturesque out there.  Garden room on a snowy day, 01 March 2018  Snow in West Yorkshire, 01 March 2018   Alfie looking out at the snow, rather forlornly.  The joke is, Alfie won't go out unless it i...